A lot of baby happening around here…thus, a lot of baby blogging.  I have been wanting to make one of Susan B. Anderson’s pacifier clips for a while now, but Elias did not use the right kind of pacifier, so I had to wait until Espen.  To tell you the truth I promoted the kind of pacifier I knew would work for this project with Espen.  So Espen now uses the kind of pacifier he does, just because his mama wanted to make a knitting project.  I’m sure there will be more of that in his future.

Meet Mr. Elephant.

The pacifier clip previously had a ribbon attached that I just snipped off.    The only thing wrong with Mr. Elephant, is that Espen’s older brother has a fondness for him…  Meaning I have to watch like a hawk for a pacifier thief.

 

 

Pattern is from Artisan Books-Itty-Bitty Nursery.

Free flower pacifier clip pattern.

My local yarn shop, Athena Fibers, asked me to make a soaker sample for the shop.  (If you are wondering what in the world I am talking about when I say soaker, check out this blog posting.)   I decided to go with size small on the sample just to see the size difference from the medium I made previously.  I like it.  It still fits Elias, but I think it will eventually be baby #2′s since I won’t get it back from the shop for at least a few months.

 

 

 

 

I also cast on a pair of Vanilla Socks by The Knitmore Girls.   (There is a link for the FREE pattern on the right hand side of their website.  Also on Ravelry.)  If you are looking for something to listen to while knitting, The Knitmore Girls do a great podcast.

 

This was sock yarn I had in my stash from about 5 years ago.  I am trying a method of using 2 circular needles instead of double pointed needles.  It is going very well, and I appreciate not having to work with so many needles.  With the circular method, you basically have your sock divided on the 2 needles, but only work with one circular needle at a time…the other needle just hangs there and chills out until its turn.   (If ever you are confused about crafting concepts, just check out online videos like uTube.  I do it all the time!)

 

And of course, for a very brainless project, I started another World’s Best Potholder by Flax and Twine.  I blogged about these previously as well.  Can’t get enough!

I have always preferred the look of knitted items to crochet, but lately I have been loving a couple of crochet projects.  I am still working on my Granny Square blanket for baby #2, but I have also been making some of these.

I found this darling potholder pattern at Flax and Twine blog.  It is FREE and can be found HERE.  I watched a couple online videos to figure out how to do a single crochet, and then I went to town.  It is a rather brainless pattern and makes for perfect unwinding at the end of the day.

I tested it in the kitchen with some homemade bread, granola, and another rhubarb crunch.  It works wonderfully!  It is a little larger due to my larger size hook, size 9/I, so on the second one I made, I only chained 28 stitches.

I just love how these are turning out and think they would make some fun little gifts.

I’m about 3/4 done with my second one in this blue/teal color.  I think many more of these will be made in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Yarn used is Jeannee.

Ever since I started cloth diapering, I wanted to try out a soaker cover.  Soaker covers are knit with 100% wool and are praised for their ability to “breathe” and wick moisture into the cloth insert.  I finally got around to making one for Elias.  I figured if it worked well for him I could whip up a few smaller ones for the new baby.

I used the pattern Curly Purly Soaker.  You can find this FREE pattern HERE. It was pretty easy to knit, although I relied heavily on other feedback from Ravelry users.  (If you are a knitter, you HAVE to be on Ravelry.  It is free and an incredible resource!!!)

 

As our days get hotter, I can really see how the wool is much more breathable than some of the other covers I have.   I also think Elias really enjoyed wearing it around for the first time.  Even though it is 100% wool, it seems pretty soft against his skin.

 

I used one of the inserts I made from Tony’s old t-shirts and a couple pins…eventually I plan to purchase a different fastener instead of the pins.

Another plus to wool soaker covers, is that you don’t have to wash them as often as other covers.  I’ve heard you only have to wash it once every week or two!  The power of sheep!  One of the reasons you use 100% wool is that wool has a natural oil in it called lanolin which helps contain the wetness involved with diapers.  I bought a little bottle of detergent that has extra lanolin added to help the soaker retain that benefit.

 

 

The verdict is still out on the soaker cover, but just thought I would share some of our latest adventures in babyville.

Over the weekend I made a sweet little square bag.  It is a to-go bag for my small knitting projects…however, I like it so much that I am not limiting it to that role.  On Saturday I actually threw my wallet, phone, and a spare diaper in it as I headed out the door.

I used scraps and some muslin for the outside of my bag.   The size is around 9x9x6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added some hand stitching along one side with the word “stitch.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite details that I added is this little owl that I stamped on.  He just adds such a touch of whimsy.  Plus, the possibilities of using different stamps on fabric–oh my!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also like how the sides look with the seams intersecting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, a good project indeed.  I believe more of these bags are in my future.  Next one will be more rectangular so I can fit some straight knitting needles into it.

At the moment this one holds all my granny squares.  Only 7 more to go for the baby #2′s blanket!